During the Illinois spring legislative session, Chalkbeat Chicago will watch education issues that relate to funding, early childhood education, students with disabilities, support for school-aged migrants, mental health, and literacy. This past January brought five days of canceled classes in a bruising clash with Lightfoot over coronavirus protocols, which resulted in an agreement members narrowly approved and some criticized as falling short. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune). We wanted members' rights to be respected, but soon realized that the forces working against educators were not just a reform movement, but a deform movement that used the turnaround model, charter proliferation and layoffs of Black educators as a pathway to a school district accountable not to people, but to profit.We were in a battle for the soul of public education, as Karen, Financial Secretary Kristine Mayle, Recording Secretary Michael Brunson and I took office at the end of Mayor Richard M. Daley's term. Infection rates are closer to 20 percent in working class neighborhoods where low-wage workers are forced to work, rely on mass transit and live in large, multigenerational households. CHICAGO Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey announced Wednesday night that he will not seek re-election this summer for a fifth term. Long coveted by CTU bosses, House Bill 2275 would eliminate a provision in state law that limits what school officials are required to negotiate with the union. We were a group of educators whose schools were being closed, meeting at protests, public hearings and the Chicago Board of Education in defense of our classrooms and colleagues. Chambers social media posts further undermined the already tattered credibility of the CTU, which continues to posture as an opponent of Lightfoots forced reopening even as it blocks collective action by teachers against the murderous policy. Those protocols are strikingly similar to what American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten called for in an op-ed in The Hill offering a "blueprint to safely open schools.". Feb 02 2022 Feb 02 2022. All rights reserved. Asked about rumors that shes mulling a run for mayor, Davis Gates said the speculation has focused on the wrong officer. She noted other former CTU officials are politically active, and the union has helped raise up allies such as aldermen Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Jeanette Taylor. She said she hears the concerns of teachers who are fearful for their health, just as I understand the concerns and fears of the day care workers, the factory workers, the health care workers, the grocery store and construction and transit and sanitation and other workers whose jobs do not allow them to work remotely and stay at home.. At times, his blunt approach could rankle City Hall, such as when he called Mayor Lori Lightfoot relentlessly stupid and relentlessly stubborn during a recent standoff over COVID safety protocols after winter break. Heres How to See the Dazzling Duo, Vallas and Johnson Headed to Chicago Mayoral Runoff, Lightfoot Denied Second Term, At Least 2 Tornadoes Briefly Touch Down in Chicago Suburbs, 16-Year-Old Boy Among 3 Killed in Weekend Shootings Across Chicago: Police, Challengers Aim to Block a 2nd Lightfoot Term as Crime, Public Safety Dominate Mayoral and City Council Races. She instilled in her son the importance of compassion, a strong sense of justice and a commitment to the greater good. The CTU has been a trailblazer for the career opportunities of other left union reformers in Los Angeles, New York and other cities. Jesse Sharkey (center) and his wife Julie Fain are seen in a family photo on a trip to Disneyland in 2020. Sharkey also reflected on the loss of former CTU president Karen Lewis, who died a year ago this month. Lee Sharkey passed away Oct. 18, after a brief battle with cancer. A new report from Gov. To make matters worse, public health experts believe the new, more virulent strain of the virus, which spreads particularly fast among young people, is already in Chicago, sparking the latest surge in cases. Also, the top 1 percent of taxpayers paid a 26.9 percent individual income tax rate, which is more than seven times higher than taxpayers in the bottom 50 percent (3.7 percent). His rebound downs Marian Catholic. I was just a kid who wanted to change the world. Jesse Lee Sofferthe talent behind Chicago P.D.'s former Det. He served as the unions top leader multiple times while Lewis dealt with health struggles, and was elected to the presidency in 2019. Theres been almost no in-person learning for about a year. Sharkey said he will return to the classroom in the fall, though when asked about a possible mayoral run, he did not rule out that possibility. CTU President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates share a hug after announcing on Oct. 30, 2019, that they'd reached a tentative deal with Mayor Lori LIghtfoot to end the two-week teachers strike. In 2017, Lee won Irelands prestigious Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize for her poem, Letter to Al, which was a poignant account of her experience with her second husband, Al Bersbach, living with dementia. It has been a partnership that has challenged me to be better, to be thoughtful, to take my time. In his letter to senators, Sharkey argued the union's bargaining limitations "creates a significant safety issue during the pandemic, one that threatens to put thousands of people's health at risk because of the CPS's refusal to discuss common health and safety issues pertaining to children and staff.". Chalkbeat Chicagos reporters will be there to report the news you need. My wife, Julie, has stood beside me and experienced all the stress and heartache that I have felt in nearly two decades of this work. For example, she lashed out at Near North Side Ald. They can keep moving the goal posts. And now come the fun death threats DMs," Chambers posted on her now-deleted Twitter account. The right-wing effort to equate teachers with the CTU is as grotesquely false as the claims by Chambers and the rest of the CTU leaders that membership controls the union. In reality, the Chambers incident is only the latest example of the enormous class gulf that exists between the CTU and rank-and-file teachers. Oh, to be sure, some may fall into that category, but for many others, it is nothing more than a call to advance Bolshevik bushwa. With raises. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to providing the information families and educators need, but this kind of work isnt possible without your help. Licking its wounds after missing an opportunity to gouge the citys taxpayers viaMeasure EEin June, the union is back with The New Deal for Public Schools. Inspired by New York socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal, the UTLA plan is nothing more than a wealth-transfer gimmick which aims to close corporate tax loopholes, provide more green space on campuses, fight the corporate charter industrys influence in politics, and increase investments in adult education, early education, multilingual education, and special education. In other words, tax the rich, spend tons more money, establish more programs and eliminate charter schools. Sharkey announced Wednesday that he will step down when his term expires June 30. Delegates will vote whether to have both a delegates training and a House of Delegates meeting in March or just one or the other. In Chicago, district officials have ordered all pre-K through eighth grade teachers without approved medical exceptions back into buildings this month, regardless of their familys health conditions, and threatened those who do not return with dismissal. I never planned on a decade-plus of union leadership, because I do not think that is the goal of movement work. Read More CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 31: Chicago Teachers Union president Jesse Sharkey addresses the media at City Hall after the announcement of a deal to end an 11 day teachers strike on October 31, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Where Karen gave us the infrastructure, the confidence, the boldness, the idea that these things could happen, Jesse helped to see those things through. The choice between unions becoming more ecumenical or more radical has been made. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. Gates has not officially announced her intention to run for the CTU presidency. All Rights Reserved. have the opportunity During his tenure, clashes with Lightfoot led to three school shutdowns in the past three years, starting with a two-week strike during 2019 contract talks when the union pressed for an ambitious slate of proposals, including smaller class sizes, that went well beyond salary and benefits issues. What the CTU boss doesn't mention in his letter to senators is those meetings with school officials about reopening plans have devolved into union demands for a pledge to lobby for "defunding police" and "rent abatement," according to people familiar with the closed-door discussions. Sharkey was first elected vice president in 2010, when Karen Lewis was elected CTUs president. Lindblom interim principals contract is postponed again, During sit-in, Jones College Prep students pressure administration to restore trust following Nazi costume incident. Sharkey and a group of teacher union comrades decided tospend their summer vacation in Venezuela. It takes its toll. Using the account name Sarah4Justice, Chambers, who was there along with CTU grievance coordinator Sara Echevarria, created posts oblivious to these conditions, not to mention the struggle of Puerto Rican teachers against the impact of hurricanes, earthquakes and savage austerity. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). The other (left) shoe has dropped. "Our union will remain a force, and our dogged defense of public schools and the willingness to speak truth to power are not going anywhere. Im sure others will say that cant be done, yet isnt that what you pay lawyers for? It comes amid several personal issues for Sharkey, the report said: His mother died in October 2020, his CTU predecessor and . Some educators and parents have argued that the COVID protocols agreement the union negotiated with the district amid the recent cancellation of classes did not move the needle enough to justify the potential loss of four days of pay for educators who chose not to report to school buildings in person. Zoom links will be provided in the week leading to the meeting. Over the last decade it has played a central role in the restructuring of public education in Chicago and assisting the Democratic Party in suppressing opposition to school closures and the expansion of for-profit charter schools, along with the explosion of social inequality and police killings. (She was) fearless, willing to lift up the voice of the voiceless, someone who stood for Black Chicago, who stood against racism in our schools, who stood for a vision of public education. Sharkey stressed the standoff had nothing to do with his decision to step down. While feigning opposition to Lightfoots plans, the CTU has opposed any strike action, leaving teachers to fight on their own. On Dec. 28, he penned a letter urging state senators to revive a bill during the lame-duck session set to start Friday. My mother passed away in October of 2020, followed by a brutal school reopening campaign and Karen's death in February of 2021. They balked at naming names for potential vice president candidates. She also wants to promote more arts and music programming in schools and challenge the high-stakes, high-pressure application process to selective enrollment and other competitive high school programs. Jesse Sharkey won't be seeking re-election for a fifth term as president of the Chicago Teachers Union, he said Wednesday. They can ignore the data. Lee later taught at the University of Maine at Farmington, founded the Women Studies Program there, and served as senior editor of theBeloit Poetry Journal, one of the countrys oldest and most respected poetry magazines. Im sure these teachers will come back to school in two weeks and regale their students about the glories of Venezuelan socialism where90 percent of the people live in poverty,the inflation rate is an astonishing 282,973andcivil rights have been abolished. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy While Sharkey and the other CTU members declined to give any predictions as to who might run for president or who theyd want to see take on the role in particular, Sharkey was emphatic in his praise of Gates as a union leader. Elections for the CTU president and other elected union leadership are coming up in May. Many of them are in unions. Members First, a coalition of fed-up rank-and-file Chicago Teachers Union members, launched a campaign to oust union boss Jesse Sharkey (center) and vice president Stacy Davis Gates (left). She could say that schools were opened, and teachers didnt come to work, so she had no choice but to stop paying them. It was Sharkey and the CTU who endorsed Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle for mayor and spent almost $300,000 to get her elected. Hopkins has a penchant for letting his mouth run before he actually gets the facts, Lightfoot said. Sharkey said it will be up to CORE to determine its leadership slate for the May election. On his own list of proudest accomplishments, Sharkey included the groundbreaking 2019 contract that mandated a social worker and nurse in every school by 2024, and a successful effort to unionize more charter school educators. My youngest son, now an underclassman in high school, was a toddler when I first took office. On October 9, when Chicago Teachers Union vice president Jesse Sharkey stepped to a podium to announce that the fiery Karen Lewis was suffering . Please talk to any and every teacher you know about this, and remind them that as a result of theJanusruling, they no longer have to fund a bunch of socialist activists masquerading as educators. We are part of a movement, and as an educator at heart, I view myself as a leader in that movement. (Teresa Crawford/ AP) CHICAGO. Instead, be thankful the high school teacher pushed fearmongering propaganda about the reopening of public schools during the coronavirus crisis while visiting a buddy in Puerto Rico for the holidays. And now theyve just threatened an illegal strike, and yet their paychecks, with raises, are still coming. Mary Esposito-Usterbowski, the presidential candidate on the Members First slate, released a statement saying Sharkeys announcement is an acknowledgment that now is the time to bring new leadership to our union. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune), Jesse Sharkey was mentored by and served as vice president under the late former CTU President Karen Lewis. It was tough., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Rahm would arrive the next year. "We are part of a movement, and as an educator at heart, I view myself as a leader in that movement," Sharkey said. I was just a teacher whose school had been threatened with closure, and I was surrounded by educators in similar situations who were fed up with conditions in CPS. Sharkey said CTU leadership has set a target date of Jan. 18 for a return to in-class instruction. J.B Pritzkers Childrens Behavioral Transformation Initiative makes 12 recommendations for how the state can support families and children in need of mental health services. They are aligned with Biden, who has rejected any lockdowns and insisted that all schools be open over the next few months so the parents of schoolchildren can be sent back to work to produce corporate profit. According to the right-wing gutter press, teachers opposition to a return to in-person learning is not driven by concern for the well-being of educators, children and their parents, but a desire for more time off. And when we lost Karen, he held our hands, and he reassured us that we were still going to get where we needed to get. Columns are opinion content that reflect the views of the writers. March 17, 2021 / 5:12 PM / CBS Chicago CHICAGO (CBS) -- Time. We expect students and staff to be in school on Monday, she said. CTU boss Jesse Sharkey is quietly leveraging the coronavirus crisis to lobby state senators to pass a bill that would improve the union's future bargaining power. When talking recently about trying to convince the union to go back to work, Lightfoot seemed bone-tired, frazzled, weakened. But we knew there was power in our rank and file, and that bread and butter unionism, despite being the foundation of traditional labor, wasn't enough," Sharkey said in a statement. Lightfoot gave them a rich contract after a strike in 2019. Rather than presenting solutions for the greater good of students and teachers, union bosses seem to be posturing for a possible strike. On December 31, Chicago news station WGN published social media posts by Chicago Teachers Union Area Vice President Sarah Chambers enjoying a vacation in Puerto Rico just days before thousands of teachers were forced back into dangerous school buildings under Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoots reopening plan. Photo courtesy of Sharkey [Facebook]. For more information please visit the CTU website at. delayed students return to the classroom, phase in an elected school board in Chicago, Chicago Charter School Operations: Student Recruitment Workshop, Announcing Erikson Institutes Reimagined Masters in Early Childhood Education with Triple Endorsements, Teaching about the Asian American Experience: A Primer. As part of the new deal, the district agreed to provide students and staff members KN95 masks; abide by metrics that would temporarily transition a school to remote learning; and increase incentives for substitute teachers. A lot of the things that motivated me to run, I think weve achieved.. How some teacher unionistas spent their summer vacation. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. I suppose you could say that theres been remote learning in its place, but on the South and West sides where kids are being left behind, many students are not engaged online, as Jackson has acknowledged. You may also receive occasional messages from sponsors. And they will stress that is the fault of the U.S., of course. Its a difficult job, Im told, and Ive been doing it a long time. This is the same modus operandi used by teacher unions in New York City, Washington D.C. and other cities to reopen dangerous schools. He also noted last years move by the state legislature to phase in an elected school board in Chicago a shift for which the union lobbied aggressively and which Lightfoot vocally opposed. The Windy Citys teachers union is on the verge of yet another strike. Follow whats happening in Chicago schools in our newsletter, delivered every weekday. Is it the $100 million in ventilation system upgrades that isn't good enough? What was the point of the CTU dance video? Soon-to-be 2023 Chicago mayoral candidate Duncan was the U.S. Secretary of Education, and also the architect of Renaissance 2010, which allowed a wave of privatizers and education reformers to close nearly 100 traditional neighborhood schools while opening 100 charter schools.We had seen the joy of teaching fall under attack by moneyed interests and corporate hacks, and we wanted to protect schools and honor classrooms by making our union more responsive and more effective. He took over the top job in 2018 from Lewis, who died last year after a battle with brain cancer. In 2017, asked about his wealthy father-in-law, Sharkey said: 'We don't choose the . She acts tough with aldermen, but not the CTU. I want her to lead, demand those children get back into school. I understand that was insensitive and wrong of me to go on this trip for winter break and for me to share photos of it at a time when thousands of my union sisters and brothersand the families we serveare refraining from travel or making only essential plans outside of the home. There's what CTU leaders say publicly, and what they're really up to. Interestingly, there is no specific plan to improve on the districts76.6percentgraduation rate or address the fact thatless than half of the 2019 Los Angeles Unified School District graduating class will be eligible to attend one of the states public universities. Most hypocritically, she will tell you that its just a coincidence that she abandoned New York City in 2012 for East Hampton, a very wealthy community on Long Islands south shore, thusavoiding paying $30,000 in city income taxes. A stress fracture in his shin. I am also mad at him because were already in an election cycle and I dont want this to be politicized because Jesse doesnt deserve that, she added. Since then, the unions engaged in multiple actions, including as recently as this winter during a debate over COVID-19 safety protocols. , he penned a letter urging state senators to revive a bill during lame-duck... Opposed any strike action, leaving teachers to fight on their own just. Rank-And-File teachers to have both a delegates training and a House of delegates meeting in or... An underclassman in high school, was a toddler when I first took office you need top job in from. Union comrades decided tospend their summer vacation of 2021 school reopening campaign and Karen 's in! 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